At 2-0 today he made an absoloute quality save which killed any momentum they were gathering and at times makes goalkeeping look so so simple and easy. Other times he looks so cool and relaxed, almost over relaxed that he has more or less switched off. Some of his passes out to the defence are scarey. does he find this league too easy ?
no i just think he is a quality keeper. to be honest he could still get in most premier league teams. i reckon we are very fortunate to have him.
I think from time to time he does get a little bit complacent. But every goalie makes mistakes... most of the ones he makes aren't that bad. We play passing football, his job is to distribute it out from the defence. From time to time he might make a few risky passes... but 99/100 our defenders are comfortable on the ball.
He's certainly doing well and I am sure it helps that he is getting a bit of love from all round the club (and the fans). Long may his good form continue!
What I like is the fact that the players have confidence in him, unlike they did for Loach, which then gives them confidence themselves. It's a great to being defender knowing that you can rely on your keeper sometimes, whether that is passing it back to him or making a save.
We've been very fortuante with keepers over the years. We've often had a good one. Almunia is up there with the best of them, and is clearly class at Championship level. I think he'd happily sign a new contract at the club as well, and was an excellent signing in the first place.
Talking of keepers, anyone see the howler from Kuszczak in the final minute? Helped Brighton drop two points....great stuff.
It's not unfair at all - I think he would've been a decent signing too but we got a player who had done well at this level before (West Ham) and has continued to do well here, whilst Cudicini has moved to America. Kuszczak loves the Hornets, Kuszczak loves the Hornets la la, la la
I lost the respect I had for Kuszczak when somebody on here said he got a chaffuer to games instead of getting the coach
Remember people wetting themselves at the time because we didn't sign Heaton? Almunia is an absolute class act at this level and more than capable of doing a job for us in the Prem next season - should we make it.
I didnt give a pooo about premiership nor england but Almunia was tauted around as the next england goalie a few years ago. He is quality..
Yes, that was funny when Kuszcak more or less threw the ball in his own net right at the end of the game to throw away two points. Manu Almunia has a reputation as a 'dodgy keeper' from his time at Arsenal. Fine, let them keep thinking that. With all the classy players we've enjoyed this season, his contribution gets a bit overlooked - I'm delighted with him however. He's made one error so far that I can remember and almost got caught out with one or two slack throws out of the area. He strikes me as a confidence player and I think it's important we keep right behind him.
Almunia is comfortably one of the best signings anyone in the Championship has made this season. Class act, and to think we got him for gratis!
This. I reckon a large part of signing with us is being settled locally, coming from next door at arsenal. He;s played at the top level, made some money and can't see him wanting to move away from first team football at a decent level. Even if he was on the bench I'm not sure he would go. Unless we couldnt afford him.
all about when that woman at the Fans' Forum went on about how Almunia couldn't fit in with our passing game...
Always thought of him as a confidence keeper..when he is on top of his game and feeling appreciated, he is a very decent one indeed. It was great that when he first arrived at Watford, John Eustace was first to greet him and told him what a good keeper he was and how we were pleased to sign him. After his unfortunate experiences at Arsenal and with Lehman etc, that was great psychology. You don't get to play as many games for a top 4 club as he did, and get tipped for England, without being good..his career has just gone off the tracks a bit (not withstanding a short but good loan spell at West Ham) and as much as he was right for us, we were also right for him. Tom Heaton anybody? No clean sheet all season and dropped twice already this season.
Tom Heaton isn't a bad player. He's goalkeeper for the worst team in the league and it's easy to put the blame on a goalkeeper.
Anyone remember Eddie Plumley's son - Gary I think - who played in goal for us in a semi final at Villa I think it was in the 80's? I know we had injuries to two first choice keepers (Coton & Sherwood) but the poor lad must rank as one of the worst we ever had.
Remember it? It's one of the most embarrassing moments for the club. Didn't Sherwood say he was fit but GT decided to play Plumley anyway?
Plumley only ever played that game as he went back to managing his wine bar after that. Yes he was bad, but he should never have been asked to play in the first place really. IIRC Sherwood was happy to play - the story is pretty well told here: http://www.bsad.org/tribute/sherwood/jonp.html. It's also worth noting that the next alternative to Gary Plumley was a 16 year old David James. Now that could have been a story!
Excellent read :sign15: Steve was a very underrated keeper who served this club well; and as for the Andy Gray incident, no one will ever convince me that he did not foul our Steve :rant: We were robbed!!!
